Dinamika Identitas Budaya Masyarakat Sahrawi: Analisis Teori Identitas Budaya Stuart Hall

Lanang Hutama, Dr. Imam Wicaksono, Lc., M.A.

2026 | Tesis | S2 Sastra/Kajian Timur Tengah

Penelitian ini membahas dinamika identitas budaya masyarakat Sahrawi di Sahara Barat yang mengalami tekanan akibat aneksasi Maroko dan kehidupan berkepanjangan di kamp pengungsian Tindouf, Aljazair. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi bentuk-bentuk pergeseran identitas budaya masyarakat Sahrawi, menganalisis dinamika identitas budaya masyarakat Sahrawi menggunakan teori identitas budaya Stuart Hall, serta menjelaskan strategi masyarakat Sahrawi dalam mempertahankan identitas budayanya. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori identitas budaya Stuart Hall dengan pendekatan kualitatif dan metode deskriptif-analitis. Data diperoleh melalui studi pustaka dari berbagai sumber akademik yang membahas masyarakat Sahrawi, konflik Sahara Barat, identitas budaya, dan teori identitas budaya Stuart Hall, kemudian dianalisis melalui teknik analisis isi.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa masyarakat Sahrawi mengalami berbagai bentuk pergeseran identitas budaya, terutama pada generasi muda, seperti perubahan penggunaan bahasa, pola konsumsi budaya populer, dan adopsi simbol-simbol budaya Maroko. Namun, identitas budaya Sahrawi tidak sepenuhnya hilang, melainkan terus dibentuk dan dinegosiasikan melalui memori kolektif, narasi perjuangan, serta kesadaran sejarah yang membedakan mereka dari identitas nasional Maroko. Penelitian ini juga menemukan bahwa masyarakat Sahrawi mempertahankan identitas budayanya melalui pelestarian bahasa Hassaniya, tradisi Atay, pendidikan, aktivitas budaya di kamp pengungsian, dan pewarisan memori kolektif kepada generasi muda. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa identitas budaya Sahrawi bersifat dinamis sekaligus menjadi bentuk resistensi terhadap dominasi budaya dan politik yang mereka hadapi.

This study examines the dynamics of the cultural identity of the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara, which has been shaped by the Moroccan annexation and prolonged displacement in the Tindouf refugee camps, Algeria. The study aims to identify the forms of cultural identity shifts experienced by the Sahrawi community, analyze these dynamics using Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity Theory, and explain the strategies employed by the Sahrawi people to preserve their cultural identity. This research applies Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity Theory using a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical method. The data were collected through library research from various academic sources discussing the Sahrawi people, the Western Sahara conflict, cultural identity, and Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity Theory, and were analyzed using content analysis.

The findings indicate that the Sahrawi community has experienced various forms of cultural identity shifts, particularly among the younger generation, including changes in language use, patterns of popular culture consumption, and the adoption of Moroccan cultural symbols. Nevertheless, Sahrawi cultural identity has not disappeared; instead, it continues to be constructed and negotiated through collective memory, narratives of resistance, and historical consciousness that distinguish the Sahrawi from Moroccan national identity. The study also finds that the Sahrawi people preserve their cultural identity through the maintenance of the Hassaniya language, the Atay tea tradition, education, cultural activities in refugee camps, and the intergenerational transmission of collective memory. These findings demonstrate that Sahrawi cultural identity is both dynamic and serves as a form of resistance to the cultural and political domination they continue to face.

Kata Kunci : Identitas Budaya, Masyarakat Sahrawi, Pengungsi Tindouf, Sahara Barat, Stuart Hall